It’s got vampires and steampunk. That’s really all you need to know.
What They Say:
“In the Event of Rusty Hopes”
Noé is on an airship bound for Paris, where he hopes to find the legendary “Book of Vanitas.” He meets a woman named Amelia as the ship nears its destination, and then all hell breaks loose when a mysterious stranger appears. Has Noé’s quest found him?
The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
I seem to be on a certain theme, going from reviewing Moriarty, set in 19th century Britain to Vanitas, set in 19th century Paris. They even both happen to fit in the category of “adaptations of dark but palatable shounen manga focused almost exclusively on devilishly handsome young men that all but guarantees a larger female audience.” Of course, the most obvious difference is that, while Moriarty was set in a rather realistic rendition of its setting, more than plenty of Sherlock Holmes adaptations can say, Vanitas not only centers on a classic 19th century European theme of vampires, but adds steampunk element to feel decidedly anachronistic in the vein of Gonzo’s liberal adaptations of classic works from the early 2000s.
The reason I was interested in both, though, is not due to thematic elements, but rather pedigree. Moriarty was written by Taku Kishimoto, one of my favorite writers, and animated by Production I.G. Vanitas has perhaps an even more all-star team behind it. The original manga is the second major work from Jun Mochizuki, creator of the thematically similar and surprisingly excellent manga Pandora Hearts. The anime adaptation comes from Bones, a studio that has created a track record for itself so impressive that their name gives me more faith in a project than most, including Production I.G. It’s being directed by Tomoyuki Itamura, who directed nearly the entire Monogatari Series under the supervision of Akiyuki Shinbou, making this his first time directing a TV series outside of that series and his first time directing anything not at Shaft and not sharing directorial duties with regular Shaft chief director Shinbou nor anyone else. Writer Deko Akao is the second identity of Hitomi Mieno, a singer whose expansion into screenwriting has made her an incredibly prolific head writer in the anime industry. Finally, perhaps my greatest enthusiasm comes from the music by Yuki Kajiura, perhaps the most beloved anime composer of the last decade and certainly one of my favorites.
Although it features many elements associated with female-target anime and manga, this opening episode does largely follow the formula of a standard shounen introduction, establishing its concepts through a conflict that is minor in the grand scheme of the story but showcases the primary characteristics of the protagonists and, in this case like many, unites them for the first time. Continuing on the theme of appealing to a certain demographic, it’s not hard to see a dynamic between these two leads that could feed some fantasies. It’s a solid introductory piece, setting both up as highly competent and mostly enigmatic, but with fun quirks that immediately deflate their posturing and make them refreshingly human.
Although the episode deliberately relies on several visual gag tropes that were likely lifted from the manga, the general aesthetic is beautifully rendered, feeling extravagantly Parisian while its steampunk and futuristic elements are meticulously detailed and blend in even while intentionally feeling out of place. As is common for this formula, the episode starts off quiet but builds to an action-packed climax that is animated with the loving care we expect from this studio.
It’s fascinating to watch directors like Shinichi Omata and Itamura leave Shaft to direct series at other studios without Shinbou’s supervision or the house style of Shaft, but clearly taking lessons from their long-time mentor. It doesn’t get much more Shaft than Monogatari, so this is certainly a dramatic departure, but the influence is still there; a director with that background would be hard-pressed to make a vanilla adaptation without any original flair. It doesn’t hurt that the Monogatari Series also prominently featured vampires, and that experience with the inherent sensuality of that theme plays well.
More than anything, there could be no mistaking Kajiura’s work, and a 19th century Parisian setting full of bishounen vampires is a perfect platform for a twist on her classic sound that we’ve more or less heard before in several other projects, but is different enough that it’s fun to focus on the subtle new elements that this work brings. At any rate, there’s no question that it’s a powerful force in every scene, ranging from the light pieces for simple dialogue scenes to her iconic orchestral showcases during climactic action. The former feels slightly less distinctively Kajiura, but it’s overall very consistent with all sounding exactly like her without feeling like the same thing we’ve heard countless times.
In Summary:
Vanitas is a series to keep an eye on this season. It’s off to a fairly standard start, but Pandora Hearts was similar, and that managed to evolve into much more. While that series didn’t have an adaptation that gave it much opportunity to live up to its potential, the team behind this series is easily one of the strongest of the season, and so far each member of it is delivering at the level of quality their past work has led us to expect. As long as Mochizuki hasn’t lost her touch and there’s a good stopping point for the anime, this series has a lot of potential.
Grade: B
Streamed By: Funimation
